Sterile drapes are used in surgical procedures to establish a sterile field. A drape is a sheet that covers some or all of the patient undergoing surgery. The drape has an aperture which is positioned over the area that is prepared for surgery. For example, in abdominal surgery, the drape aperture is positioned over the abdominal area of interest to the surgeon.
During the surgical procedure, sterile objects may be placed on the sterile drape; so placing an object maintains its sterility and allows the continued use of the object in the surgical procedure. For example, a suction tube may be used to suction fluids. If not in use, the tube is laid on the drape. If the suction tube falls or slides off of the drape and moves outside of the sterile field (such as falls in the floor), then the tube must be disposed of and a new sterile tube must be rigged for use.
Consequently, sterile drapes have evolved to be equipped with tube holders or organizers. A tube holder releasably holds the tube to the drape, thereby maintaining the tube on the drape and in the sterile field. Typically, a drape has several tube holders that are preattached to the drape.
There are a number of types of tube holders in the prior art. However, the marketplace prefers just one type because of its low cost. This prior art tube holder has two strips of a hook and loop fastener. The bottom strip is loop material and has adhesive. The bottom strip is adhered to the drape. The top strip is hook material. The strips are bonded together at one end, while the other ends are uncoupled and free. To secure a tube to the drape, the free end of the top strip is pulled up to release the top strip, the tube is placed on the lower loop material and the top strip is pressed back onto the loop material.
A problem with the prior art tube holder lies in the difficulty in separating the top strip from the bottom strip. The user has difficulty acquiring a grip on the top strip. The hook and loop strips have a low profile relative to the drape. It is difficult to grip the top strip free end with bare hands; the task is even more difficult with gloved hands as used in surgical procedures. Gloves are required to maintain the sterile field. The top strip, which is of hook material, is shorter than the bottom strip, but this does not ease the user's ability to acquire a grip on the top strip so as to pull it open.
Instead, drape manufacturers have developed a common practice of partially offsetting the top strip to the side of the bottom strip. However, because the tube holder is manufactured with the top and bottom strips aligned and not offset, the offsetting is accomplished by hand. This raises the cost of manufacture of the drape.
Another problem with the prior art tube holder is its low strength in securing or holding the tube in place. Once a tube is located inside of a holder and secured therein, the top strip is pressed on to the bottom strip. The top strip rolls over the tube leaving substantial empty space between the top and bottom strips, which empty space is located to the sides of the tube. Consequently, the tube can roll or slide along the bottom strip. If the tube is moved several times, such as being bumped or snagged, then the tube will work itself into prying the top strip off at the bottom strip. The tube will free itself.